The Legend of Zelda: Last of Days
by ElectromagNick
Summary: The lands of the world were at peace. The world had become what many had hoped for: a land of adventure, peace, and happiness. But many things are not right with the world. Our hero will have to face a threat greater than what the world has ever know.
1. Prologue

So, here it is. The Prologue of the revised Legend of Zelda: Last of Days.

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**The Legend of Zelda: Last of Days**

**Prologue**

Hyrule has always been a strong, proud nation with a rich history. But this history is smeared with civil wars, hardships, and mysterious legends. Hyrule itself is shrouded in mystery. The geography is shifting, the politics are complex, and the legends are far more reality than any would suspect.

The conflicts in the past have always been interconnected. The wars of old, and the recent hundred year civil war that nearly brought the cataclysmic end of Hyrule, were sparked over myths and legends. The Goddesses themselves intervened to end the war.

Historians, philosophers, and the sages had thought that a hero would arise to reunite the country. Heroes have always come from nowhere, young boys clothed in green, often wielding ancient, sacred weapons. These heroes have often faced ancient evils or stood alone against thousands, always surviving the trials that come with the title of "hero". Yet, for no apparent reason, after their quests are done, they simply leave, never asking for a reward, never demanding payment, and disappearing into the annals of history, soon being forgotten as mere legends to teach young men and women the power of honour and courage.

When the Goddesses stopped the war, not a hero of old, people were afraid. They did not fear their deities, nor the consequences they faced. They feared that a threat would arise, one that no legendary hero wielding a sword of ultimate power could survive or defeat. They feared that they had opened the door to an evil that could not be killed, nor even sealed away. They had spent 7 years attempting to strengthen the country. The monarchs had created a council, consisting of the leaders of every race in all Hyrule. They spent another 3 repairing the damage the war had done.

What was the power they fought over? Was it the legendary Triforce, omnipotent relic of the Goddesses? Or was it the Force Lexicon, an object that gave unlimited knowledge about anything and powers beyond reckoning? They had both played a role the Great Cataclysm 500 years prior to the 3rd Hyrulean Civil War. The Cataclysm had shattered the fabric of reality of a hundred worlds, realities, and time-lines. The worlds reformed after a decade, all merging into a single plane of existence. The cataclysmic end the 3rd Hyrulean Civil War would have caused would be equal in effect to the Cataclysm that brought the merging of realities.

Perhaps these were a look at the future. Or maybe they were a warning. No one can say. All they knew was that something was about to happen...

...Something had been set in motion, and it could not be stopped.


	2. The Boy with the Bow

_**Legend of Zelda: Last of Days**_

_**Chapter 1**_

At the edge of Hyrule Field, a young boy, no more than 12 years of age, stood in a tree, practicing his marksmanship. A bow in one hand, a quiver with one-hundred arrows on his back, the boy proved himself an excellent archer. He could pin a butterfly to a tree at one-hundred and fifty feet without causing it harm. All who knew him, knew he could achieve whatever he set his sapphire-blue eyes on.

There was a girl in green with a Kokiri medallion in her emerald hair on the branch above him, watching as he hit the target every time. The two were close friends, and had a continuing friendly rivalry. She was as skilled an archer as he, and she was the leader of the Kokiri people in Hyrule. Her fairy floated nearby, changing color based subtly.

A shriek came from off in the distance. The boy and girl looked to the sound. Four riders cloaked in shadows and garbs where riding on black steeds with blood-red eyes. The leader was carrying a girl, her hands bound. She looked scared and angered, equally.

The boy acted fast. He drew three arrows and readied his bow. He took aim and... three riders dropped, an arrow between each of their eyes, dead before they hit the ground. The leader looked to the tree, but the girl was already out of sight, her fairy camouflaged. The boy had already leaped from the tree, almost vertically, and drew his knife. By the time the riders gaze had moved to the boy, a blade was flying towards him. The knife hit, the boy landed in a roll, and the captured girl fell. Before she hit the ground, the boy had caught her.

She couldn't say a thing. All she did was stare into the young boy's eyes as he untied her hands. She had a regal appearance: a long, flowing dress and cape; amber hair tied back in a ponytail, secured by a large, red bow; elegant, golden cufflinks separate from her dress; and a crown, as simple as it was elegant. All knew her by name; Zelda Delphine Hyrule the Thrid, Princess of Hyrule.

The young boy helped her up, the girl inspected the bodies of the riders, looked for some clue to their motives. The Princess looked at the boy. "Thank you," she said, in a voice as soothing as the ocean and as beautiful as the morning dew on the Royal Gardens. "A thousand times, thank you. I... I do not know what they were going to do to me, but I am glad I don't have to find out."

The boy spoke respectfully. "You owe me no gratitude. I was merely doing what I felt I must."

"Even so, I cannot let such a daring rescue go unrewarded. I- Saria?" She saw the young Kokiri girl and her fairy.

"Greetings, Princess," Saria replied.

"Your friends seem to be getting more and more interesting, Saria..."

"He's been a friend of mine for a long time... But I'm glad he could help."

Zelda looked to the boy. Before she could speak, a voice came calling from behind. "Zelda!" Another rider rode up on a pure-white Hyrulean Stallion. It was a Sheikah. She dismounted when she arrived at the group. "Zelda, are you injured?"

"No, Impa. I'm fine, and due in small part to this brave, young boy."

Impa stared at the child, almost as though she was inspecting him to find who he owed allegiance to. "Tell me you name, lad."

"Link Raphael Donesan, Ma'am."

"Well, Link, I'm glad, relieved, and thankful that you where here. And I'm sure Zelda even more thankful."

"I don't know what they would have done to me... I'm just glad I don't have to find out."

Saria looked worried. "That may not hold true, Princess. I found this letter on one of the bodies..."

Impa took the letter and opened it. She read it aloud: "'Find the girl of Accursed body and Blood, take her to _Blood and Bone Gorge_, and slit her throat on the Black Sacred Crest. Do not fail me again. ~A.R.'"

Zelda lost her breath. The world started to stretch into oblivion. She felt lost and alone in a black void. She couldn't hear anything, couldn't see anything, and could scarcely breathe. Her head was spinning. She fainted. Link once again caught her.

Impa pulled out a small pouch. She grabbed a pestle and mortar and several medicinal herbs. She ground them as quickly as she could. "Saria, take that bottle of water and stir in pinch Honeygarb." Saria did as she was told. She handed the bottle to Impa, who mixed in the powdered herbs. She brought it to Zelda's lips, tipped her head back, and let the potion trickle into her throat.

Saria and Link just stood watching. When the unconscious Zelda had drank the last of the potion, Impa placed her against a tree with her head resting against a bundle of leaves Saria had gathered. Link drew his flute and played a song called the Song of Healing.

"Link, may I see that flute?" Impa asked. Link handed it to her. She brought it to her lips and played Zelda's Lullaby. Zelda awoke after a few minutes. Impa was still playing. Zelda sat up and closed her eyes. Impa stopped after another minute or so and gave the flute back to Link.

"Princess?" Link asked politely. "Are you alright?"

"Yes, I'm fine... But... I suffer from Dara-Tes Syndrome..."

"The Sleeping Death..."

Zelda just stared into the woods. She didn't quite feel the strength to get up.

Impa looked to the clouds. A storm was brewing. "Zelda, we should return to Castle Town. Link, my thanks to you for all you've done. The royal family owes you a debt of gratitude."

"My thanks, Link." With that, Impa and Zelda rode off towards Castle Town.

Saria looked to Link. "Link, I should go. I'll see you around."

"Bye." And Saria left. Link looked to the sky. "I'd better head home, as well." He drew his flute once more and played the Song of Birds. There was a flapping of wings as he played. Off in the distance, a large, crimson bird appeared. It sped up, flying straight towards Link. When he had finished playing the song, the bird was standing next to him. It was a large bird, large enough and strong enough to easily carry two adult Hylians. "Hey, buddy."

The bird let of a short, pretty song in reply. It was a Loftwing.

"Let's head home. Malon will start worrying if we're not home by dark." So the boy mounted his bird and they took off, straight toward Lon Lon Ranch.

Back home, Link and his avian mount had finally returned, and just before the storm hit. Lon Lon Ranch was fairly large, and was renown for it's high-quality milk and sweet fruit. The ranch was owned by Malon and Talon, but the orchard was owned by Link's uncle, Alfon. The two families had lived together for ten years, and they felt like they were a single family.

The ranch was in an alcove in northern Hyrule Field, at the east side. That side of Hyrule Field was actually known as Hyrule Valley, due to the surrounding cliffs. The orchard was mostly on the fields at the top of the cliff. It was a cozy little place.

Link walked into the house, Malon was in the kitchen, watching the kettle. "Hey, Link," she said. "Do you want some tea? I'm boiling water now."

"Yes, please."

"Twilit Lemon-Dew?"

"We still have some?"

"I went shopping earlier."

"Then I would gladly have some. Thank you brewing it."

"It's no bother. You seem a bit... unfocused, anyway."

"Is it that obvious?"

Malon stared in that "I know you're hiding something" smile.

"Maybe just a little. I met Princess Zelda today."

Malon's jaw dropped. "Oh my Goddesses, tell me everything!"  
"Relax! You know I tell you everything. Just give me a minute to collect my-"

"Did I hear right?" Talon dropped from the ceiling, hanging by his feet, knocking Link off his. "You met with Princess Zelda today?"

"Oh, and dad's on the ceiling."

Link just glared at the duo for a moment, then burst out into laughter. "And this is why I love my family."

Malon and Talon replied in unison. "Thank you."

Alfon walked into the room. He stared at the group for a moment, and similarly began to laugh. "I assume Link has another tale to tell."

So Link collected his thoughts (and his tea) and sat down on a couch in living room near the fire. Everyone sat down in their usual spots, and they all focused on what Link had to say. "So, that just about sums it up. But the entire time, I couldn't shake a feeling of... I'm not quite sure, actually. Dread, fear, and longing, mixed with joy, courage, and belonging. It was an odd feeling..."

Alfon and Talon looked to each other. "Well, that's an interesting tale, indeed," Alfon said. "It's been a long day. I think I might go to bed. Good night, all."

"Good night," they all said in return. Alfon left.

Talon looked to the clock. "It is getting late. I'll be going to bed, as well. Good night."

"Good night," Link and Malon replied. Talon left to his room. The house was big enough for everyone to have their own room.

Malon took their cups back to the kitchen. "I still can't believe that you saved the Princess."

"They didn't seem like ordinary assassins."

"No, ordinary assassins would have killed her on the spot. They had a plan for her. I just hope she never has to go through that again."

"Same. I just can't shake the feeling that there's more to this." Link looked out the window. "It's almost maddening."

"Don't lose you head over this. You saved her, and Impa will insure that she won't be in harms way."

"Right..."

Malon started to walk toward her room. "You should get to bed, too. You look tired. Good night."

"You're right. Good night."

And Malon left, with a slight "When am I wrong?" look. She knew she wasn't perfect, and she didn't act like it, but she always enjoyed Link's company, and the two were as close as any siblings.

Link took one last look outside and saw it had stopped raining, then turned to go to his room.


	3. A Royal Thank You

Okay, so these chapters are taking a bit longer than I'd hoped. If I have inspiration, I don't have the time to right or record ideas. When I _do_ have the time, I've lost the inspiration or just don't feel like doing anything productive. You know, that "the Curse of the Ellusive Muse" thing? No? Good, because I just made it up. If it's actually a thing, I no longer like it and shall **demand the destruction of all you hold dear.** *Cough*. It hurts to talk in that voi- I mean What was that? I didn't do anything. I'm sorry, okay? It was a slip up, I won't let it happen again!

That psychopathic monologenous (it's a word. I think... If not, it's a word now, suckers!) speech of something that may or may not cause the sudden end of the world aside, enjoy this next chapter. I must warn you though, it's a bit dull and is really just more introduction that you may or may not be able to skip when new chapters are available. I guess it's my way of symbolizing that a good story isn't always action or excitement, it's a look at real life where there are dull moments. Maybe. Screw it, I'll let you decide.

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_**The Legend of Zelda: Last of Days**_

_**Chapter 2**_

Link woke up fairly early. The night passed by quickly. He didn't dream, usually. With the day ahead and a good night sleep, Link almost jumped to his feet. He washed his face, got dressed, and went downstairs.

"Good morning, Link," Malon, Uncle Alfon, and Talon all said.

"Good morning," Link replied.

Alfon was cooking pancakes, with strawberries. "Care for some pancakes?" he asked.

"Yes please." He sat down a the kitchen table, next to Malon, and Alfon brought him a stack of pancakes with fresh syrup. "Thank you."

"You're welcome, my boy." Someone knocked on the door.

Malon got up to answer it. "Uh, Link? It's for you."

Link walked to the door and saw a friendly face. "Why, hello, Impa."

"Greetings, Link. I have some good news for you."

"Okay... Please, come in."

Impa walked in respectfully. She bowed. "Hello, Alfon, Talon. It's nice to see you two again."

"Ah, Impa!" Talon and Alfon stated.

Talon continued. "It's been far too long. How have you been?"

"I've been well, but the years have been strange."

"Please, sit down. Have some pancakes, or tea, perhaps?" Alfon gestured to an empty chair at the table. "At least allow us to be good hosts."

Impa sat down. "Thank you. I'll just take some tea. Green, if you have any." Alfon began to look through the larder for the herbs. Impa turned to Link. "Link, how much do you know about world politics?"

"Not much. It's not subject I care for, and I've never really needed it, but I'm only a kid, so that could change."

Impa chuckled. "I thought the same thing as a child. Ah, well, that's not important. You seem to know common formalities, at least, and you're polite, too."

"Thank you, but I don't really see the importance of that right now."

Alfon gave Impa her tea.

"Thank you, Alfon. But, I digress. Returning to the reason I came here, the King and Queen would like to meet with you, Link."

Everyone looked at Impa in surprise. "Not to sound disrespectful, this is a great honor, but why would the Royal Family want to meet me?"

"You can't blame them for wanting to meet the boy who saved their daughter's life, can you? I gave the King the note Saria found on the rider, and Zelda told him of how you saved her. So they sent me to personally invite you to Hyrule Castle. Everyone here, actually."

Malon's eyes lit up. "All of us?"

"Yes. Your father and Alfon were both prominent Hyrulean Soldiers not so long ago. They were well known to the Royal Family, and are still considered personal friends."

"When are we supposed to be there?"

"Whenever you're ready. Along with personally inviting you, I'm also to escort you all there. Once you're ready, simple say so."

After a few minutes, the group was on there way to Hyrule Castle. "Link, may I ask you something?"

"Oh course."

"I saw that large bird near the stables. May I ask where you found him?"

"Oh, Felix. It's not much of a story, but alright. I can't quite remember where I found him, but he was injured when I did. I managed to make a splint for his wing and he's been with me ever since."

"Interesting... A Loftwing, correct?"

"Yes, actually. I don't know too much about them myself, there's not a lot information on them."

"I don't think anyone knows a great deal about them. The extent of what most people know is that they're supposedly extinct. But, obviously, even that's wrong."

Malon was still looking out the window. "Pretty horses. Rupee Coast Bays, right? They're a pretty strong breed and a friendly, too. And the black-and-white coloration isn't common. They're beautiful steeds."

Impa chuckled. "She knows a lot about horses, doesn't she?"

Talon laughed a response. "She spends most of her free time out with the horses back at the ranch."

"Bonooru and Pierre did say they would watch the ranch until we got back, right?"

"Yeah, they showed up early," Talon replied.

Link was trying to think of something. "They're scarecrows. How can they move, let alone quickly?"

"I don't know, but they've never let us down," Alfon said. "Pierre personally chased after Epona and calmed her down enough for Malon to find her."

Impa continued to laugh. "I'd forgotten how interesting life was with you two."  
Talon and Alfon looked at each other. "This is life with these two," they both stated.

Everyone had a good, long laugh about that.

They soon arrived at Castle Town, and the group found Zelda waiting for them. Castle Town was a large city in northern Hyrule, in an alcove of trees and cliffs. The cliffs were formed by hills surrounded by the East and West Zora Rivers, the source of which was the North Zora Haven. The city was, in the simplest terms, a fortress, and one to be reckoned with at that.

"Zelda," Impa said, "you know you're supposed to have a guard with you at all times, right?"

"I know enough swordplay and hand-to-hand to hold my own against any back-ally thief."

"But not an assassin."

Zelda just looked down the street. She whistled and a dog appeared, running toward them. It was moving quickly, almost too quickly to be any dog. A moment later, and it was sitting down at Zelda's feet. It was a White Wolfos, and an unusually large one, too. "Aequitas is always near by."

"So long as you're not entirely without protection."

As they were passing by the central market, Zelda stopped at one of the stands. After inspecting some of the fruit, she picked out a few mangoes and pomegranates and placed them in her basket. "It's been a good season for them, hasn't it?" she asked as she pulled out a purple rupee.

"It has indeed. Perfect weather about twenty miles south."

"And I'm glad for it. Oh, keep the change."

"Thank you, Princess, and, as always, have a nice day."

"You too." She walked back to the group, and they continued to the castle.

When they arrived at the castle's front gate, the guards opened the doors to the courtyard. Link looked around at the gardens. They were large and varied. "These gardens are amazing," he stated.

"I'm glad you like them," a voice replied from behind. The group turned to see the King standing there. "The groundskeepers do a fantastic job of keeping them alive." Link, Malon, Talon, and Alfon all gave a respectful bow. "Ah, Alfon, Talon, it's been a long time."

Alfon was the first to reply. "Yes it has."

"How have you been, Daltan?" Talon asked.

"I've been well. And I feel better knowing that the world still has a fine youth. This must be Link." He reached out to shake Link's hand.

Link shook it respectfully. "It's an honor to meet you, sir."

"My greatest thanks for rescuing my daughter, Link."

"As a citizen of Hyrule, and raised by the Knight's Code, it was my duty."

"I'm glad to hear it. And this must be Malon. A beautiful young girl."

"Thank you, Your Majesty, and I must say I'm honored to meet you."

The King smiled as he turned to his two old friends. "I'm glad you two have made an impression on our world's youth. We need more children like them. Well, Rosaleda's waiting for us inside." And they went into the throne room.

"Hello, Talon and Alfon."

And the two, as usual, replied as one. "Hello, Rosaleda."

Talon continued. "You haven't aged a day. What's your secret?"

She laughed. "Always the court fool."

"Guilty as charged."

Alfon rolled his eyes. "This is what I have to deal with daily."

Malon whispered in Link's ear. "And I thought _we_ were supposed to be the kids."

"Well, based on the fact that the King and Queen are both laughing, and that Impa stated that they were all personal friends at one point, I assume this is why they're friends."

"Obviously, but where does that leave us? Be as mature as possible to make up for it?"

"I would recommend being on your best behavior anyway. This is a formal meeting."

"Is it? Is it really? With these attitudes, I don't think so."

"That's what I'm talking about."

Zelda overheard their exchange and couldn't help but giggle a bit.

"And this must be Link and Malon. I've heard quite a bit about both of you."

They both bowed (well, Malon gave more of a curtsey) respectfully and replied in unison. "It's quite an honor to meet you."

"Link, I am immensely grateful. Thank you for rescuing Zelda. We knew that there was a conspiracy, but we didn't realize... We should have been more careful."

"Rest, Mother," Zelda said. "I'm safe, and the guards are taking precautions to prevent another attempt."

The Queen smiled. "Thank you again, Link. I'm sure you've been told this before, but the world is lucky to have you."

"It's an honor to hear that from the Royal Family."

"It's a privilege you've earned. Know that you have friends in high places. But enough of that for now. We've prepared refreshments in the Dining Hall."

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So... you actually read the whole thing? You poor suckers! HA!

But that aside, I really like you're input and feedback, be it positive or negative, and it helps me grow as a writer. If you have ideas, please let me know via the comments, PM or email. Until the next chapter, I'm out suckers!

P.S.:

Yeah, I know, it's a boring chapter and I should be nice to my readers. I'm sorry. Truly, I am. I'll be nicer in the future, I've just been dealing with some crap I don't really want to talk about and it's been killing my good outlook. Summer's here, school's over (for me at least), and in about a month, I'll be having the time of my life in the coolest camp on Earth, so I'll have my usual self back soon. Until then, Have a nice day. ;-)


	4. A Boy's Sorrow

So, I've gotten another chapter done, and I FEEL LIKE A GOD! ...On second thought, I feel like me, and me is Barinade from Group of Weirdos. I feel a lot better due to reasons I shall not disclose (they are NOT bad/inappropriate, l just don't feel like detailing a few days). Here's the next chapter, not much action, just more backstory. I don't have much to say other than this is a short one (a little over half of the usual length).

Oh, on a side note, I've noticed many authors giving imaginary prizes for the first several people who make corrections to grammar, so: to the first 10 people who can find an error and inform me (and they CANNOT be the same as someone else, so don't even think about starting a band wagon), I shall award to thee a backwater dimension of interstellar dark matter and teleportation-based life forms where you can play God! Beat **_that_** other authors! (Yeah. It was a band wagon. I've jumped on. Kill me if I do that again. *whispered* Freakin' band wagons.)

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_**The Legend of Zelda: Last of Days**_

_**Chapter 3**_

On their way to the Dining Hall, two more came to join the group; a boy and a girl, both older than Link, but neither were adults. Zelda pulled Link and Malon aside.

"Link, Malon, I'd like to introduce you both to the rest of my family; my brother, Prince Sebastian Amadeus Hyrule, and my sister, Princess Atri Retalia Hyrule.

Sebastian gave Link and Malon (and quite possible everyone in the room) a big theatrical bow, coupled with, "How do you do?" in an equally theatrical voice.

Atri was less formal. "Don't mind him. He's always been fascinated with the preforming arts, and might forsake politics all together in order to pursue-"

"Atri, you're talking too much again."

"Oh, sorry. I have a tendency to ramble, and I jump back and forth between formal, informal, a wide vocabulary, simplistic terminology, and I'll generally talk continuously regardless of whether or not anyone's paying attention or even if there is actually someone else in the room at all."

Link smiled. "It's your right, m'lady."

Malon nudged Link with her shoulder in that half-joking, half mocking "kiss up" kind of way. "It's quite alright. If you lived with Link, you'd see that rambling is... not the worst thing someone could do. Not even close."

Link looked at her in a "You're serious? I had no idea." sarcastic way.

Talon put his face in his hand. "I though I told them to be on their best behavior."

The King and Queen merely smiled. Zelda tried to hide that she was incredibly amused. Impa just crossed her arms, holding back a laugh. Sebastian didn't know what to make of the duo. Atri just thought to herself, "It's like holding up a mirror to Zelda and Sebastian. Or was it Zelda and me? Oh well, I'm sure I'll remember."

Zelda decided to break the cycle, as something else would have undoubtedly distracted them. "Well, let's go to the Dining Hall. I remember seeing Chef Don prepare tea and cookies." And that, surprisingly, was enough to get the group moving again.

In the Dining Hall, Malon had already found the more unusual of the snacks; a small sandwich with Ordon goat cheese, sweet spring onions, and Romani fire fruit. She, unsurprisingly, enjoyed it.

"Well, Malon?" Zelda asked. "How do you like it?"

"It's delicious. There's a subtlety about the sweet from the onion mixed with the 'bite' from the fire fruit."

"It's one of my favorite snacks. Help yourself, there's plenty."

Alfon looked to the King and Queen. "She's taken a lot from both of you."

The King smiled. "She's always tried to be the best at what she does. As a person, she's tried to be an example of a kind heart, a strong spirit, and a humble soul. I've never known her to take something for granted, and she hasn't ever yelled. Not once."

"We're quite lucky to have her. As well as Sebastian and Atri. They're all unique in their own ways, and they've all been wonderful. Each has a rare quality. I know most mothers say this, but I'm very proud of my children."

Alfon nodded. "I know what it's like. Link may just be my nephew, but I love him like a son. He's eager to learn, not just academics, but anything. He particularly enjoys philosophy and astronomy."

"I know things have been hard on both of you, but he's turning into a fine young lad just the same."

"I'm glad you think so, Daltan."

Sebastian was juggling several apples, not really paying attention to the fact that he was juggling at all. Link and Atri where talking.

"I see what you mean," Atri contemplated. "I've always felt that, if you love something, pursue it. And if you love someone, never prolong telling them. You never know when something will happen."

"Yeah." Link thought for a minute. "I can see how things could change at any moment, whether it's for the best or not... It's not something everyone thinks about, but I'm glad to finally meet someone else who does."

The "party" continued for a while, but Link decided that he needed some fresh air. He went to the gardens (the guards keeping a tab on him at all times) and he sat down near the tranquility waterworks. They consisted of a large pond filled with a dozen species of fish, a smaller pool above forming a waterfall fed by a spring, and a small statue in a ring of stone pillars, hidden by a curtain of water. After a few minutes, he heard someone walking towards him.

"I've always loved spending time in these gardens," Zelda said.

"I can see why," Link replied. "It's beautifully peaceful, and that waterfall is very soothing." Link seemed a bit distant; lost in thought."

Zelda knew it shouldn't concern her, but she had a feeling that he needed to talk. "Link, is... is something wrong?"  
Link thought for a minute. He finally responded. "It's been exactly four years since..." He took a troubled breath. "Four years ago today, my parents and sister were... they died. A fire started by some mercenaries. Someone put a bounty of the our heads, and my sister died because she saved me."

Zelda eyes widened. "I'm so sorry, I had no idea."  
"My sister was sixteen at the time. She ran into the fire to get me. But that didn't kill her. One of the mercenaries saw her running back towards the house after she saved me, and he-" He let out a sigh, almost like he was holding back tears. "I saw him run his blade through her heart. She let out a scream that still haunts me, but she was still alive. Then he threw her into the flames." And that was it. He started crying. The memory was still as fresh as the day of the incident, and the pain hadn't diminished over the years.

Zelda gave him a hug. She knew he needed it, but she didn't know what to say. There was a silence for a few minutes.

Link pulled himself together eventually. "It's hard, sometimes." What was left of his tears turned into anger. "But the worst is that no one knows who they were. No one even knows who put out the bounties to begin with." He took another long, deep breath. "I'm not even sure I want to know. It wouldn't bring them back, and I don't know if it would even bring me any peace."

"Link, we have connections all over the country. If you want to know, I could help."

"Honestly, all I need is someone to talk to. Someone to listen. It helps me think. I don't really want to know, and it might not even bring me peace. You've helped enough, and I appreciate it."

Zelda looked to the side. "I really wish that I could do more than just listen."

"You don't have to. But I think I've had enough. Let's just go back to the Dining Hall." And the two left to rejoin the party.

Off in the distance, a large Gerudo Crow watched and listened. When Link and Zelda went inside, the bird took flight, traveling back to it's shrouded master...

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So, let me know what you think, give me feedback, suggestions, criticizism, etc., etc. But I want _legitimate_ opinions and feedback. All trolls shall be fed to the caniballistic ogre. But seriously, no crap responses. If you liked and/or loved the story, fantastic! If not, too freakin' bad, stop reading, I don't want to hear about it! I do, however, appreciate you taking the time to read my story regardless of whether or not you liked it. Like I said, I welcome all forms of criticism, but crap/troll reviews are never okay.

On a final note, read Group of Weirdos by Mr. Light Chicken Bulbs. It's a funny-as-all-hell LoZ parody and a long running one at that. You don't have to read it, but if you like to laugh and like the Legend of Zelda, I recommend it. (No, I am not being paid to endorse. I liked it, I recommend it, and there are many great authors and stories on this website.)

From me, with or without love and/or respect. ;-)


	5. Happy birthday Link

So, this may or may not be the last chapter I upload before I go to camp for all of July. Just a transition chapter (okay, so I promise we'll start getting into action in the next chapter). I apologize for the lack of fast-paced, heart stopping, sheer moments of crowning awesomeness in these first few chapters. I stress the need to create backstory, but sometimes it's too much. If there's anything you guys see that I could cut out, just tell me. I hope that at least someone enjoys this chapter.

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_**The Legend of Zelda: Last of Days**_

_**Chapter 4**_

"Hey Link. Nice of you to rejoin us."

Link looked at Malon. He knew she meant well, but she never really understood. It wasn't entirely been her fault. She didn't know the full story. "I just needed some fresh air."

Malon wasn't sure if she believed him, but dismissed it with a shrug. "Okay then."

"If only you knew..." he said under his breath. "But it's best you don't."

The party went on for a little while longer, with nothing too out-of-the-ordinary. It was late when Link and the group finally decided to return home. They made their exit as politely as possible. When the group left and Zelda was going to her room, she ran into Impa. "Oh... Hi, Impa..."

Impa's arms were crossed (as usual), a confused expression. "Something wrong? You seem a bit distant."

"No. I'm just... thinking."

"About Link?"

Zelda blushed, but tried to hide it. "He's strong. When he went out for some air, I went to talk to him. But I learned just how much he's been through."

"I know. He lost both his parents and his sister to mercenaries chasing a bounty."

Zelda looked a bit lost. "How did you know?"

Impa closed her eyes and sighed. "Alfon and Talon where both Hylian Knights. They were in the same team as both of Link's parents. I knew every member of that team well. They were all personal friends."

Zelda looked down. "It must have been hard."

"There were seven members of the team. Every one of them lived to see the end of the War. I still talk to most of them on occasions. But you're right. It was hard losing Joanie and Alex. You look tired. I'll let you go to bed."

Zelda said good night and went to bed.

Link sat in his bed, writing his thoughts in his journal. He was a bit distracted, and his thoughts were unorganized, scattered.

_I've never truly come to terms with the death of my family. Mom, Dad, and Irelia. I still dearly miss all of them, but it's hardest today. Every year on this day, the pain amplifies itself. It's what makes my birthday the most painful. My birthday? Tomorrow. As with every year. It's hard. What's the old saying? 'The sting doesn't last forever, but the scares are eternal'? The pain doesn't sting yet. It's just there._

_ I met with Zelda and the Royal Family today. It was strange. It's almost like Zelda knew why I left the party. I told her what had happened. She... It was strange seeing someone react to my pain. Most people give me their condolences and leave it at that. At least, most people who know. I don't talk about it much. She actually talked to me about it. But I digress. I try not to dwell, but I can't move on._

_ I know Irelia was sixteen, but I still can't imagine what kind of person would do such a thing. She was unarmed, unsuspecting... I feel a little bit of guilt. A lot, actually. If she didn't save me, she'd probably still be alive. That shrouded armor still gives me nightmares. I don't usually dream, but when I do, it's never peacefully._

He wasn't sure what he was thinking. He was restless. It was a summer night, and the breeze was just cool enough to be comfortable. There was a ladder in Link's room that lead to a terrace on the roof. He decided to take advantage of the warm weather.

Seconds turned to minutes, minutes slipped to hours. Link fell asleep on the roof. And this time, he dreamed:

_He was back behind the tree, watching his home burn. Irelia was running into the flames. She was going to try to save their mother and father. Link reached out, calling to her. He made no sound. And she was getting no farther away. She stopped and turned, her face disfigured from the flames, a gaping wound in her chest. Her eyes were fully open and milky white, her jaw slowly opening. Her look became menacing when she let out an ear piercing shriek._

_ Link cringed, dropping to his knees, covering his face and ears. He looked again a moment later to see she was running, just as she was a moment before. Her body slowly disintegrated into a swirling wind of fire, ash, and black, light spirals of smoke. A large and shrouded figure walked from the flames of his house, unharmed. He walked toward Link. He was a silhouette due to the flames, but his cape was illuminated. Link could make out a shape. An emblem. It was a crow, surrounded by 3 symbols; a sword, a hand print, and a droplet. Link couldn't tell if it was a rain drop, a tear, or blood._

_ He turned to run, but the figure was in front of him. Before he could react, a blade pieced his neck._

Link jumped from his dream, gasping for breath. He continued to breathe heavily as he looked around. The sun was still beyond the horizon, but the sky was turning the subtle amber of sunrise. Link was still tired. Nightmares do nothing for sleep, or for the soul. He climbed down the ladder, into his room, and he climbed into his bed, intent on catching a few minutes of rest.

Roughly an hour later, Malon knocked on his door. With no response, Malon opened the door slightly, peeking through the crack. Link was still asleep. Malon debated whether to wake him up, or let him sleep in. She decided to let him rest for a little while longer. After all, it was his birthday.

Link woke up almost a half hour later. His last hour and a half of sleep were relatively restful. He took a quick shower, got dressed, and went downstairs to eat. Talon and Alfon were at the table, Talon reading the newspaper and Alfon looking through some papers.

"Happy birthday, Link," Talon said, looking up from comics section.

"Happy birthday," Alfon followed.

"Good morning," Link replied, not entirely cheerful, and Alfon sensed it.

"Something bothering you, Link?"

"I didn't sleep well. A bad dream, I guess." He said it like he didn't know if it was a dream. He _wasn't_ sure.

Talon had known what happened. He knew the full story. He had tried finding some information on the mercenaries for Alfon. Nothing ever turned up, and eventually, he just stopped trying. He knew that the best thing for Link would be to forget about it. He shouldn't suppress the memories of that night, but he should remember how his parents and sister were. They should be remembered by how they lived, not how they died. He just didn't know how to tell that Link. He was a smart kid, but he was still just a young boy.

It took a little while for Link to get his bearing. "Where's Malon?" he asked.

Talon looked out the window, expecting to see Malon in the corral. "I'm not sure. She might be in the stables."

Link shrugged. "I'll find her after I eat."

Alfon knew that Link wasn't himself when he was hungry, and jokingly stated, "Good idea."

So Link filled the kettle, put it over the fire, and began looking through the larder. He got a few eggs, some flower, baking soda, milk, a little bit of powdered sugar, and a few strawberries and blueberries.

A few minutes later, his waffles were on a skillet on the stove, cooking. "Uncle, could I ask you something?"

"Is something bothering you, Link?"

"No... Well, maybe. It's about that night."

"Go ahead. If you need to talk, Talon and I are always here for you. And I know Malon would be more than willing to talk about it."

"But she'd never drop it," Link stated bluntly. "I'm sorry. I shouldn't have-"

"Link, it's fine," Talon said. "Malon does have a habit of never letting things go."

Alfon put his hand on Link's shoulder. "What was it you wanted to ask?"

Link sighed, both in relief and trying to steel his nerves, though he wasn't sure for what. "We have not idea who did it?"

"None. We don't know what mercenary group started the fire, we don't know who put out the bounty. The only thing we do know is that it was the bounty was put out in the criminal underground."

Link had thought for a minute. He'd already asked this question, and he knew the answer would change. "In my dream, I saw one of the men who started the fire. The same one who killed..." He took a moment to breathe. It was still hard to talk about what happened. "In my dream, I saw one of the men. I couldn't see his face, but I saw the emblem on his cloak."

Alfon looked surprised. Sometimes what people thought of as dreams were actually ways of subconsciously remembering details of traumatic experiences. "What was it?"

Link grabbed a pencil and a piece of paper and sketched the emblem he saw. Alfon and Talon looked over it, thinking.

"I'll do some research," Talon said. "Maybe I can find if this means anything."

Link seemed unsettled. It seemed strangely familiar to him. Maybe he really did see it that night. Or maybe he'd seen it somewhere else and the memories were blending. He went back to his waffles, seeing that were done.

He used the powdered sugar for taste (and to a lesser extent, aesthetics) and got some maple syrup and a glass orange juice. After he ate, he went outside to check on Felix.

A while later, Malon rode into the ranch on Epona. "Hey Link," She said. "Happy birthday!"

"Hey Malon."

Malon dismounted Epona and got a package off of her saddle. She handed the neatly wrapped object to Link. "I got you a present."

"Thanks, Malon, but you didn't have to."

"I wanted to. Besides, you gave me a really nice, high-quality saddle and a trumpet for my birthday."

"You have been practicing with that trumpet a lot lately," Link said jokingly. Malon loved jazz and swing, and she was a fairly talented musician. She had even joked about starting a band. "I'll open it inside." So the two went inside.

Talon was looking over business papers for the ranch. Alfon was about to start loading up the wagon with Lon-Lon milk and boxes of several types of oranges. He was going to take a shipment to Castle Town.

"Hey Malon," Talon said.

"Hello Malon," Alfon followed.

"Hi," Malon replied.

Link put the package on the table. "Malon got me a birthday present."

"Well, that was nice of her."

"Indeed," Talon added.

"Well, open it," Malon said, eager to see Link's reaction.

Link carefully opened it, and what he saw surprised him. It was a Hylian Recurve bow, a meter (roughly 3.2 feet) in length. It was a beautiful one, as well. The bow appeared to me made from steelbark, a tree whose wood is a strong as steel and as flexible as yew. It's the ideal wood for a longbow due to this. The limbs ended by curling into themselves, away from the archer, and were lined in steel colored a dark blue. This held the string, woven from threads of a Skulltula web. The grip of the bow had rosewood inlays. The bow was a piece of art, and the quiver was no worse. The quiver was made of mahogany with traditional Hylian symbols carved into the wood.

"Malon, this is amazing!" He hugged her. "This must have cost a fortune. Thank you!"

"It's no problem. Remember that part-time job I got in Kakariko? Mainly to help afford this."

"You didn't have to do that for me."

"I wanted to. We're family in all but blood."

Talon and Alfon were looking over the bow, both admiring the craftsmanship and the fine details of the set. "It's a fine piece," Alfon said. "You have a keen eye for quality crafts, Malon."

"We would have helped you afford it," Talon stated.

"It wasn't as much as you might think. Ahri was the one who made it." Ahri was a a great smith and craftsman. She put time into each of her pieces and would always sell them at a fair price. She never asked too much, and it was never too little in her opinion. Her prices were rarely negotiable, but few ever found thought they needed to be.

"It doesn't surprise me that this is one of Ahri's pieces," Link said. "I've always liked her crafts."

The group joked for a little while longer, but Alfon had to take the shipment to Castle Town. Link and Malon went outside to try out the bow. Link filled the quiver with a dozen arrows while Malon set up the targets. There were 6 at varying distances and heights. Link notched one arrow in the bow, pulled the string back, and took aim. The bow was tightly strung, and was fairly easy to pull back, yet he could still feel that it was a powerful bow. He aimed at the nearest target. It was an average-sized bull's-eye target at eye level, 15 feet (a little over 4.5 meters) away. He released the arrow and it went flying into the target fairly faster than arrows from his other bow, hitting just over dead center.

"Impressive shot, Link."

Link smiled. He took another arrow and shot a target Malon hit in the tree. A few more arrows later, all the targets were hit, and Link had 6 arrows left. The duo spent a little while longer practicing (Malon proved to be a decent shot herself), then started on there chores just past midday.

* * *

Usual stuff goes here. No troll responses, I'm glad you guys have read my story, please criticize, etc.  
The next chapter will include the action you love. Sorry for so many introduction, backstory, and transition chapters.


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